Many people use Apple or Android Pay. Apple and Google claim that their software is completely secure and that users’ private information is never distributed or seen by anyone else. However, these payment methods may not be as secure as the companies claim. Users have doubts about the software’s security, ranging from scammers and online phishing to the confidentiality of user information.

Apple and Android claim to have similar security features between the two programs: virtual account numbers, purchase tracking, and remote security control. They can even wipe all personal data from one’s phone without having the phone in your possession.

Using this type of payment method definitely has a consequence: personal information is given to a company and nobody knows what happens to it afterward. It could be distributed without the user’s knowledge.

Apple and Android also misleadingly boast about everyday features of smart phones as part of their security protocols.  For example, Apple states, “Unlike credit cards, on iPhone and iPad every payment requires a touch ID or a passcode, and Apple Watch must be unlocked.”

In other words, a person needs to unlock his device in order to use the payment app. But, this practice is commonplace.  This function is not part of the security that Apple or Android Pay provide.

Additionally, as part of their security, the companies both support “virtual account numbers,” a randomized, encrypted account information number used during transactions at stores.

However, this technology first appeared in late 2015 when new credit cards sporting electronically read chips made their debut. The chip protects transactions with the same idea. Plus, the chip card is easier to use: by inserting the card into the chip reader, it completes the transaction.

But more relevant to a user worried about the security of his information is how the credit card information is added to the phone. In order to do this, the user simply takes a picture of the card and its information, and the program scans the card for information and copies it into its electronic wallet.

“The young celebrities who took nude selfies, only to have them revealed en masse in early September, can tell you just how secure photographs taken with an iPhone are,” states an article on the website Tom’s Guide.

It is up to the user to decide upon what method he will use. The Apple or Android Pay option is probably not the best option for everyday spending although it may be easier, faster, or more popular. The credit card is definitely the way to go because of its safety and reliability.